Indoor winter fun

I thought I'd share some pictures of some of the things we've enjoyed doing indoors so far this year.

This rice bin is actually an "old" toy we got out to give away. First we sorted out many precious shells and rocks to keep and the younger three played with it for days at every opportunity. It was a favorite when they were really young but it had been a long time since they'd seen it.

It works as an indoor sand box, only less messy. The kids have loved shovelling, dumping, sifting, counting, feeling, burying, digging, "hide and seek", playing "the hand" (I bury my hand and then it comes up all creepy like out of the mire making moaning sounds saying "the hand" and they laugh hysterically ...), and so much more.

There are memories here - the broken unicorn that got new life, the McDonald's toys, the trucks, the rocks, the aluminum pellets from a field trip from before the kids were born. It was fun to see it and enjoy it again (and watch the kids interact - really cool "pretend"!).

Naturally on days off from school, we have to make time to eat popovers with nutella and homemade apple butter and drink tea with the special china (and the Tupperware too). We probably need to do this more often. At least this time, we got a picture.

Drawing one's own hidden pictures and then letting the siblings find everything - well, that's priceless. Click on the picture to enlarge it and see if you can find the items. Constance even drew them at the top of the picture, just like the "real" ones, so you'd know what to look for. What will she think of next! Her drawing is really coming along and we love to encourage it.